IUPUI Environmental Health & Safety

Ergonomics > Ergonomics

INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY at INDIANAPOLIS
IUPUI
• Department of Environmental Health and Safety •
620 Union Drive, Room 043, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
Ergonomics
Ergonomic injuries represent the fastest growing category of injuries in the United States today. They are now the leading cause of Workers’ Compensation claims, and even unreported cases are accompanied by pain, loss of function, and the potential for permanent disability.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has not yet established an ergonomics standard, although one was in place briefly before it was rescinded by Congress. OSHA has made ergonomics a high priority, so there is little doubt that a standard will eventually be passed. If you would like to learn the status of OSHA’s ergonomics activities, go to the OSHA web page. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also has an excellent web site that posts regular updates on ergonomics.
Ergonomic injuries may be referred to as Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI’s), Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD’s), Cumulative Trauma Injuries (CTI’s), or Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTD’s).

Symptoms of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD’s)
Symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders and other ergonomic injuries may be subtle at first, leading the individual to ignore them. Following are the most common symptoms that may be experienced:

Pain in the fingers, wrists, or other parts of the body (this may range from a stabbing type of pain to a dull ache)
Tingling or numbness, particularly in the hands or fingers
Swelling, inflammation, or deformity
Loss of muscle function
Discomfort or pain in the shoulders, neck, or upper or lower back
A burning sensation in the arms or hands
Extremities turning white or feeling unusually cold, indicating possible nerve or circulatory problems
General feeling of stiffness or cramping
A loss of gripping strength, or pain when making a fist
Reduced range of motion
Discomfort when making certain movements

These symptoms may be alerting you to any of several types of ergonomic injuries. NEVER ignore these symptoms, contact your supervisor if you feel you have an ergonomic injury.

Common Musculoskeletal Disorders
The previously mentioned symptoms may signify the presence of any of several MSD’s. These injuries affect the joints, tendons, muscles, ligaments, and other parts of the body. Accurate diagnosis is best left to a medical professional, but may include any of the following:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tendonitis
Tenosynovitis
Bursitis
Raynaud’s Phenomenon
DeQuervain’s Disease
Back and neck disorders.
Trigger Finger
Sciatica
“Housemaid’s” Knee
Vibration Syndrome
Rotator Cuff Syndrome

Reporting Ergonomic Injuries
As with any injury, it is important that you report your MSD at the first sign of discomfort. Even the slightest pain should be viewed as a warning sign. Failure to get medical intervention can lead to even further discomfort, lost work days, or even permanent disability. Your symptoms may be very innocent, but they may also be warning you of potential ergonomic problems.

Reporting your injury is easy and can be done with minimal effort. The Indiana University Injury and Illness Report requires your supervisor to make an evaluation and analysis of your accident, but it has the advantage of getting your complaint on written record. This provides financial protection for you should there be a need for medical treatment or worker’s compensation.

Risk Factors
While anyone can incur an ergonomic injury, there are a number of known risk factors which increase the potential.

A high number of repetitions – This is the most common risk factor encountered and is usually associated with concentrated computer use. If you repeat the same motions every few seconds, or if you use a keyboard and mouse for several hours each day, you increase your susceptibility to an MSD. The faster you perform these repetitions (e.g., typing fast) and the more force you use (e.g., hitting the keyboard with a heavy touch), the greater your chance of incurring an ergonomic injury.

Force – Increased typing speed is usually accompanied by an increased stroking pressure. This can lead to finger, hand and wrist injuries. Lifting heavy weights is another form of force which leads to MSD’s, usually in the lower back area. Lifting is affected not only by the weight of the object being lifted but also by such factors as body position, type of grip, irregular weight distribution of the object, and the duration of the task. Lifting heavy objects several times (i.e., force combined with a high number of repetitions) is a recipe for incurring an MSD.

Awkward postures – This can occur in any of several jobs on campus: Researchers leaning over a microscope, CFS relampers or painters working with their arms over their heads for extended periods of time, secretaries leaning over a file drawer without adequate breaks, or anyone bending or kneeling are examples of jobs which are susceptible to this type of injury.

Contact Stress – This refers to any activity that requires you to make physical contact with an object which may place excess pressure on nerves or blood vessels. Resting your elbows on a lab bench all day or using your hand as a hammer are examples of contact stress. This type of injury can occur over an extended period of time or it may happen immediately.

Vibration – Any job which requires you to use vibrating tools can lead to nerve damage. CFS employees are the people most susceptible to this type of injury, which can occur due to extended use of chain saws, power tools, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, or other similar devices.

General/Miscellaneous
* Window blinds should be in place for control of glare and brightness. * Adjustment mechanisms must be fast and easy to activate, or they will not be used * Small lamps, or task lighting, may be placed on desks to facilitate reading, but must be placed so that they do not produce screen glare. * If users will be doing a lot of typing from documents, manuscripts, etc., document holders should be used. They should be placed immediately beside the monitor so as to reduce head and neck movement * At least a few of the work areas in multi-user offices should be wheelchair accessible. Adjustability will be especially important in these areas.